15-386/686 Neural Computation

Carnegie Mellon University

Spring 2014

Course Description

Neural Computation is an area of interdisciplinary study that seeks to
understand how the brain computes to achieve natural intelligence. It seeks
to understand the computational principles and mechanisms of intelligent
behaviors and mental abilities -- such as perception, language, motor control,
and learning -- by building artificial systems and computational models with
the same capabilities. This course explores how neurons encode and process
information, adapt and learn, communicate and compute at the individual level
as well as at the levels of networks and systems. It will cover basic concepts
in computational and neuronal modeling, neural encoding and decoding strategies, neural
networks and learning, signal processing and system analysis, statistical
learning and probabilistic inference. Concrete examples will be drawn from the
visual system and the motor system, including deep learning and brain computer interface.
Students will learn to perform quantitative analysis and
perform computational experiments using Matlab. No prior background in biology
is assumed.
Prerequisites: 15-100, 21-120 or permission of instructor. 21-241 preferred but
not required.

Blackboard: http://www.cmu.edu/blackboard/ (Both 386/686 students should use 386 BB for
access of course materials and announcements. 686 additional readings are provided in 386 BB but labeled as such.

Classroom Etiquette

Turn OFF your laptop, cell phones or any other electronic devices in the classroom.

Grading Scheme

Evaluation

% of Grade

Assignments

60

Quiz 1

10

Final Exam and/or Quiz 2 series *

30

Term project (optional 386, required for 686)

15

Quiz 2 series could be a series of 6 little quizzes with 2 points each at the end of the semester -- will discuss.

Grading scheme: A: > 88 B: > 75. C: > 65.

Assignments

5 Matlab programming or mathematical assignments.
The solution should be in pdf file,
and should be submitted before class to blackboard.

Collaboration in team of two is allowed for the first two assignments.

Term Project

Term project is optional for 386 students.
A 386 student can use the OPTIONAL term project
to replace one quiz or assignment grade, and/or to
contribute to up to 50% of the final exam grade.
Collaboration is allowed, but in this case, it can't be used
to replace homework or quiz grades, but can contribute to the final,
i.e. the final exam will only count for 15 points for these students.
It will require a 6 pages written final report and a presentation to the class.
Matlab codes and additional output should also be submitted as supplementary
materials in a different pdf/doc file and/or matlab zip files.

Term project is required of 686 students.
Collaboration is allowed. The maximum project grade will be 15 points.
The grade will be assigned based on ranking of all the projects, with the best grade being 100% and the
worst grade being 80% of the maximum grade, uniformly scaled among all projects.

Examinations

The quizzes and final exam will
cover materials covered in lectures.
Students are encouraged to study together for these exams.

Late Policy

You will have about 2 weeks to do each homework assignment.
Homework report should be type-written. You should submit a hardcopy,
documenting all the answers and results in class on the due day,
as well as a softcopy of write-up and the codes to Blackboard before
noon on the due day. Blackboard submission after noon is considered late.

All students are allowed to collaborate in the FIRST two assignments ONLY
to facilitate matlab learning.
Each should submit a copy of the solution, but should list his/her partner, if any,
on the first page of the report.

Each student has ONE chance to turn in one of five homework assignments late
within one week without penalty. However,
Blackboard submission after noon on the due day is considered late.

If you need to submit a late homework after using the one free late, you will receive 5 percent
deduction from maximum credit per lecture the solution set is released.